


Hot Chocolate

by pyromanicofthesea



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Scarecrow is an asshole, This has a happy ending I promise, jonathan you should know better than to trust your other personality, old fic from my abandoned tumblr, poor Edward - Freeform, tw descriptions of panic attacks, tw self harm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-26
Updated: 2017-07-26
Packaged: 2018-12-07 09:29:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11620761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pyromanicofthesea/pseuds/pyromanicofthesea
Summary: Scarecrow should never be allowed to make hot chocolate.





	Hot Chocolate

A loud crash, and quite the many swears, echoed through the hall. Scarecrow had fallen rather unceremoniously down the stairs, finding himself being caught by the cement floor of his basement laboratory.  
 _Genius, fucking genius._  
‘Oh yes, I’m the genius because you can’t control our legs.’  
 _Perhaps if you allowed me to be in control more often?_  
‘No. Be happy you have control right now.’  
 _Ah yes, Eddie should be home soon. When i figure out how to remove us from this floor, perhaps i shall welcome him home._  
‘Do not attack Edward.’  
 _I won’t attack him._  
‘Do not try to terrorize him.’  
 _I won’t, scout’s honor._  
‘We were never a scout.’  
Scarecrow left the conversation in favor of attempting to get off the ground via contortion. When his back popped multiple times in a row, he determined that perhaps there was a better way to stand. Naturally though, the Scarecrow could never resort to asking Jonathan how to stand.  
He figured it out, eventually. More accurately, however, it was that Edward had pulled him up onto his feet after finding the crumpled form flailing at the base of the stairs.  
“Jonathan, if I didn’t know better, I’d have guessed you fell down your own stairs.” Scarecrow growled at Edward’s words.  
“Oh, Eddie, baby, you should know better,” the Scarecrow’s scowl twisted into a chilling grin. “You really should know better by now.” Edward gulped as he stepped back, preparing to bolt up the stairs if Scarecrow turned to be in a hostile mood.  
‘Hurt him and you won’t have control for a long while.’  
“Shut up!” Scarecrow hadn’t meant for that to be spoken - screamed - aloud. Edward took the Scarecrow’s sudden outburst as a sign to run, and he was at the top of the stairs and through the doorway in moments. Scarecrow could feel Jonathan glaring at him, giving him that disappointed teacher look. There was a tug from the center of his mind.  
 _Jonney please, I didn’t mean to yell._  
‘You scared Edward! You’re utterly unbelievable. Give me back control, I’ve had enough of you for today.’  
 _Enough of me? Enough? You’re stuck with me! Unless you’d rather go back on those pills? The little ones, the ones that made me disappear? The ones that make you feel so hollow and empty and pointless inside?_  
If Jonathan had thought a response, Scarecrow never received it.

Edward had locked himself inside of his room. His work room, not the bedroom he and Jonathan shared. He was surrounded by computers he built himself, attached to large monitors. There were speakers placed around the room, creating eight-point surround sound. Edward sat in his chair - the plush, black and green one at the desk - and tried to steady his racing heart. He tried to take deep breaths, but they entered shallow and were exhaled in a shaky manor. Edward’s entire torso twitched, nearly a shiver. The walls felt like they were closing in. He’s coming, he’s coming, Edward could feel it in his bones.  
“Stop this, he won’t enter here,” Edward told himself. “Jonathan will calm him down, he’ll be singing those damned rhymes again, and he won’t come in here.” The entire house was silent, and it left Edward more unnerved than before. It didn’t assist in any way to calm down the man, either.

Scarecrow was in the kitchen, Jonathan silently glaring at him. The prickling of Jonathan’s emotions was beginning to prove hard for the Scarecrow to ignore. The stove was on, and hot chocolate was being made.  
‘He’s surely hyperventilating by now. If you return control to me, then I will be able to calm Edward down.’  
 _I can fix this myself._  
‘Ah yes, you’re so good at fixing things. That’s why it took an entire year before Edward felt comfortable enough sharing a bed with us. Just a sleeping space, I might add.’  
Scarecrow could feel the venom in Jonathan’s words as he stirred the melting chocolate into the heated milk. While the bedding situation had…hurt, Scarecrow felt as though Jonathan was being anything but professional in insinuating that he was the sole cause of Edward’s caution. As if Jonathan didn’t get off on the fright of others just as much as he did.  
When the hot chocolate was finished, and some poured into a mug, Scarecrow forced Jonathan to the back of their mind. He then added a few drops of a thick orange liquid that was kept in a vile in the jacket pocket of Jonathan’s day suit. He could feel the man try to fight his way back into control, but the Scarecrow continued this mental war all the way to his next destination.

Edward heard a knock at the door, and was startled nearly entirely out of his chair. His hands were trembling as he walked over to the door, but Edward had his breathing enough under control that he was confident that he could handle a confrontation with Scarecrow. The doorknob jittered slightly as he clutched it, the tremble of his hand not holding still as he opened the door.  
“I know hot chocolate is your favorite. Sorry for yelling, it had been directed at Jonney, not you.” Scarecrow stood in the doorway, holding out the chocolate peace offering. Edward was hesitant to accept. Jonathan relaxed a bit. It was entirely possible Edward wouldn’t take the tainted drink, caution be praised.  
“You damn well better be sorry,” Edward snapped in reply. Jonathan winced in the back of Scarecrow’s mind. He hated seeing Edward so upset. Scarecrow held his tongue, though he desperately wanted to lash out at the cheeky man.  
“I will give you space.” Scarecrow set the mug down in front of Edward, and walked away. Edward looked down at the mug on the floor. He picked it up and inspected it carefully. Its aroma reeked of chocolate, and the color was consistent with what appeared to be the contents. Edward shrugged, and dipped his tongue in. It tasted of hot chocolate, so Edward determined it was alright. He took sips in stride, savoring the taste and enjoying the way the drink warmed him. He moved to shut the door, but froze in his place. A scraping sense of dread clawed its way up Edward’s back. He dropped the mug, terrorized, and it hit the ground with a crash. The mug was broken into chunks, and the remaining contents covered a spot on the floor. If there had been carpet in Edward’s room, it would’ve surely stained.  
Edward could feel his heart race; pounding painfully in his chest. It felt as if his heart was going to throb its way from his chest in a bloody mess. His breathing came in short and shallow gasps; his lungs reaching out for air as everything became smaller. Everything became louder; the silence was screaming at him. Everything was out to get him; there was no safety in his room, there was no safety anywhere. This was it, this was when he would surely die. The pounding wouldn’t stop; Edward could hear it in his ears. The thump thump thump of his heart trying to break its way out of his ribcage. Edward felt as if his heart would shortly succeed, and leave him bleeding - dying - on the floor. Alone, all alone; no Jonathan to hold him, and no Scarecrow to sing to him. No Batman to outsmart, and no Joker to make him laugh. Edward was going to die alone. He was going to be forgotten. His genius would never be known. All those people who laughed at him at school, they were right. Everyone who ignored him, they were right. Edward felt as if he was going to vomit. Edward felt as if he was dying. Terror took him over.

Scarecrow was doubled over with laughter in the hallway. He was certain Edward had accepted the drink. Jonathan was nearly strangling him from inside his mind now, furious at what Scarecrow had done to Edward. The Scarecrow didn’t seem to be bothered by Jonathan gaining the upper hand; not until he was pushed back and Jonathan forced his way back into control. The first thing Jonathan did was throw a solid punch at the drywall. There was a small crack where his fist connected momentarily with it. The next thing Jonathan did was run to Edward’s room.

The sight of Edward, trembling and hyperventilating and frozen in place, hit Jonathan with a flurry of varying emotions.  
 _Isn’t he beautiful like this, Jonney?_  
‘Silence.’  
 _Doesn’t the fear in his eyes just really get you going?_  
Jonathan was not about to acknowledge the way that look on Edward’s face was affecting him at the time. There were more pressing matters to attend to.  
“Edward,” Jonathan spoke softly but clearly. Edward didn’t move; it was like he hadn’t heard Jonathan speak at all. “Edward.” Jonathan stepped closer, not wanting to risk worsening the effects of the toxin but not wanting to leave Edward to fight his fears alone either. Edward’s eyes snapped up. He looked as if he was a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming vehicle. “It’s just me, Edward. Just Jonathan.”  
“You don’t love me anymore. You never loved me to begin with.” Whether it were the words themselves, or the broken tremble in Edward’s voice that stung the most, Jonathan couldn’t tell.  
“I did not fancy you beyond a roommate at first,” Jonathan admitted. This wasn’t new knowledge, as he and Edward had many discussions about it before. “I’ve grown quite fond of you over the years, Edward. You’re one of my closest, hell, you’re probably one of my only friends. You’ve entered my life,and now I wish that you stay. I’m glad that you continue to choose to stay. If that is love, then I do love you, Edward.”  
“Liar. You hurt me. You abandon me. You despise me. You’re just like everyone else.” Even Scarecrow was silent now. The words were cutting deeper, and deeper still. Jonathan decided to take a risk, and he put a hand on Edward’s shoulder. The man visibly tensed up, if that was possible in his petrified state, but he didn’t shrink away.  
“Edward, the toxin will wear off in a couple of hours,” Jonathan said, not wanting to speak more of his heart to only have it rejected again. Edward nodded as tears began to pool in his eyes. “Would you rather me leave you alone?” When Edward nodded again, Jonathan squeezed his shoulder and left the room.

Jonathan went down to the basement, and curled up in the corner. He was hidden by the stairs. Scarecrow seemed to have found his voice again by the time Jonathan sat down.  
 _Jonney-_  
“Don’t start.” Jonathan didn’t bother to keep his half of the conversation in his head this time. He reached up to his desk and patted around for one of his scalpels. Scarecrow sounded more concerned this time.  
 _Jonney-_  
“I said don’t start.” Jonathan’s voice was a hiss as he rolled up his pant leg, and Scarecrow was the one who gasped in pain as Jonathan sunk the scalpel blade into his thigh. When Jonathan pulled it out, he pulled at an angle to cut the flesh below the red line. “This is a game to you, isn’t it.” The scalpel returned to another spot on Jonathan’s thigh. “You never take my work seriously. This is all some joke.” This cut would need stitching. “I should’ve never stopped my medication.” Those words hurt Scarecrow more than the scalpel did this time. Scarecrow had promised Jonathan protection from those who hurt him. Jonathan had found someone who wasn’t secretly wanting to do him harm, and Scarecrow had hurt the man anyway.  
 _Jonney, I’m sorry._  
“But it’ll happen anyway,” Jonathan sighed, leaving the scalpel lodged into his thigh. He looked exhausted, from both his fight with the Scarecrow and the marks he had given himself. Scarecrow didn’t respond, because they both knew that it would happen again.

After a while, Jonathan removed the scalpel from his thigh. He was careful not to cut anymore of his flesh, and he made a note to clean off the medical instrument before taking his next victim. He collected what he needed, and began the process of stitching up the worst mark.

Once he finished, Jonathan went back upstairs. The Scarecrow was restlessly pacing in Jonathan’s mind.  
 _Let me talk to him._  
“I think you’ve done enough damage for one night.” Though he was in the living room, Jonathan still didn’t bother keeping his half of the conversation in his head.  
 _Jonney, I know you’re mad b-_  
“Mad doesn’t even begin to cover how I feel!” To anyone else, it would look as if Jonathan was yelling at the ceiling. He was laying on the couch, spread out against all three cushions. “I trusted you to be kind to Edward, and you drugged him when he was already in a panic!”  
 _Eddie won’t learn to trust me if I’m not able to interact with him._  
“He shouldn’t trust you, and neither should I.” Scarecrow knew he had crossed a line. He didn’t have a care in the world towards Edward, but he also didn’t particularly enjoy seeing Jonathan so upset.  
 _One final chance, Jonney. Give me one final chance._  
Scarecrow blinked and found himself in control again. He presumed this meant that Jonathan was trusting him to set everything right. Scarecrow thought for a moment on what to do. Edward had said that he wanted to be alone, and the Scarecrow knew that Jonathan would respect that demand until Edward took it back and returned. Scarecrow took a large risk and decided to not follow in Jonathan’s footsteps.

Edward jumped back when he saw Scarecrow approach. The Scarecrow was doing his best not to teeter his steps, but he truly did not have a good grasp on walking.  
“Go away go away go away!” Edward was frantic, scrambling into his chair, trying to distance himself from the Scarecrow as much as he could without cornering himself.  
“Eddie, I’m going to stay right here,” Scarecrow told him as he stopped in the doorway. He sat down, and looked up at Edward. “I just wanted to make sure you’re alright.” Edward’s laugh was nervous, and he showed no signs of intending to move closer to the Scarecrow anytime soon.  
“The walls are closing in, my heart rate has been steadily increasing since consumption, and I’ve only regained steady breathing possibly twenty minutes ago,” Edward reported, just as he would every time he allowed Jonathan to experiment on him. The keyword there being ‘allowed’, as the Scarecrow never seemed to be bothered to forewarn Edward.  
“I’m not here for data, Eddie dear. This wasn’t an experiment.” Edward was caught between glaring at the man, and shrinking away again.  
‘Ah yes, this is going so smoothly. You’ve really calmed Edward down now.’  
“Shut up, Jonney, I’m working on it.” Edward stared at the Scarecrow, as he seemed to not realize that he had spoken aloud.  
‘You’re certainly doing a wonderful job.’  
“You’re not helping, Professor.” Scarecrow’s tone was anything but kind. Edward hated it when the two fought, but he was unable to move himself from his hiding place. His thoughts were a blurry rush, but eventually he overcame the toxin enough to formulate a plan.  
“Mary, Mary, quite contrary.” Scarecrow perked up, his argument with Jonathan seemingly forgotten.  
“Come again?” he asked, wanting to be sure that he heard Edward correctly.  
“M-Mary, Mary, quite c-contrary.” Edward’s voice slipped into a tremble as he spoke up. Scarecrow entire expression seemed to glow.  
“How does your garden grow? With silver bells, and cockleshells, and pretty maidens all in a row.” The Scarecrow appeared to be almost cheerful. “Will you start me another one, Eddie dear?”  
“I’m not sure.”  
“Oh please?” Scarecrow did his best to give Edward the puppy-eyes. He was acting so silly, so childish, that Edward couldn’t help but smile.  
“Hickory dickory dock.”  
“The mouse ran up the clock. The clock struck one, the mouse ran down. Hickory dickory dock.” Scarecrow was grinning proudly at Edward, and Edward could feel the effects of the toxin begin to fade. It had only been an hour and a half since the Scarecrow had given Edward the tainted drink.  
“You can come over here.” Edward decided to take a risk and allow the Scarecrow to approach him. He visibly tensed up as the Scarecrow took the first steps into the room.  
“Are you certain?” Edward nodded. He knew that he’d be on edge until the toxin was fully out of his system either way. The Scarecrow stood beside Edward, but was hesitant to touch him. “I’ll get you something to help you calm down.”

Scarecrow returned with a mug of hot chocolate. Edward didn’t take it when the Scarecrow offered it to him.  
“It isn’t tainted,” Scarecrow insisted. “Scout’s honour.” Edward gave Scarecrow an odd look.  
“You were never a scout.” Though Edward had gotten him there, Scarecrow took a sip of the drink to prove his point. Scarecrow appeared to be unaffected by the hot chocolate, so with shaking hands, Edward accepted the drink. Scarecrow helped him hold it so that the tremble of Edward’s hands wouldn’t spill the drink all over the both of them.  
“It’s good.” It was all Edward was able to manage without his voice breaking into a stutter, but the words meant the world to the Scarecrow nonetheless.

Once Edward finished the hot chocolate, Scarecrow decided to take another risk. He leaned close to Edward and kissed him. It was slow and gentle, and it took Edward a moment to process what was happening as the toxin worked to bring up bad encounters of the past. When Edward put his arms around Scarecrow’s shoulders and kissed back, Scarecrow did the mental equivalent of sticking his tongue out at Jonathan. Though Jonathan was still unhappy with the Scarecrow, they both knew that Edward was going to be alright. And that was enough to end their argument for now.


End file.
